Shea Hodges hates stupid guys, bad waves and reefs that get you bloody. The 15-year-old is a surfer and has the ambition to turn professional within the next two years because, like many other girls her age, she isn’t particularly interested in school. Shea was born on Oahu, Hawaii and lives with her mother in Kailua, the island’s third largest city. Girls are rare in this league, even if Shea’s male colleagues have long since admitted that she is world class. Surfing off Hawaii is not a fun sport and cannot be compared to weekend freshwater paddling in this country. Four-meter waves can look pretty scary when you’re standing on a small board and trying to race through the “tunnel.” Shea has already been selected to the Hawaiian national team and competed in the World Surfing Games in Durban, South Africa in May 2002.

She got into surfing through her father, who put her on a board with water wings when she was a little girl. After her parents divorced, her relationship with her father became more difficult – surfing is now the only reason to even meet him. Shea sometimes hates him for overwhelming her with his obsessive demands. In personal conversations and with sensitive observation, director Susanna Salonen depicted the stormy inner world of a girl full of contradictions. Shea is torn between wanting to perform and denying herself. Like many of her peers, she defiantly rejects demands from parents and coaches, but at the same time she is full of energy and strength for her vision. She lives in a world that has everything to offer, at least on a material level, but in order to realize your own visions you need more than just wishful thinking. A strong will and hard training are the key to success.

Director: Susanna Salonen
Script: Susanna Salonen
Camera: Susanna Salonen
Editig: Tina Hillmanns
Sound: Ulla Kösterke
Editorial staff: Inge Klaasen, Katya Mader (3sat)
Production: Andrea Ufer
Co-Production: 3sat
Station: 3sat